The Mwansabombwe Town Council has closed down 12 churches for non-adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
This was after a combined team of inspectors from the local authority, Ministry of Health and Police conducted an inspection at the premises, to check on compliance levels.
In a statement made available to ZANIS in Mwansabombwe, Council Public Relations Officer Glenda Nachinga explained that the 12 churches were closed for non-compliance to the COVID-19 health guidelines.
Ms Nachinga said during the inspection, it was discovered that some church members including leaders, did not wear face masks while other churches were overcrowded, making social distancing impossible.
She noted that the team of inspectors further discovered that some churches did not even have in place adequate hand washing facilities while others were found congregating beyond the stipulated time.
Ms Nachinga said the churches affected will only be allowed to congregate after meeting the stipulated health guidelines.
She further revealed that the inspectors also took time to educate church members on the need to strictly adhere to the guidelines.
And Ms Nachinga said the Town Council will continue the compliance checks with the view to promote a mindset change among community members.
